Together and Apart
by Satire Spiritweaver
Summary: Together we are Loveless, so bleak and alone that you'll drown in despair. Rated for later chapters, I do not own Loveless.
1. Are you sure?

Well, this is the first chapter of my first fanfic ever! I hope everyone likes it!

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Ritsuka sighed and looked up at the midnight sky. Several fat drops of rain struck his nose and eyes and he blinked repeatedly. His mother had gone berserk yet again. He had a long shallow cut across the side of his face in testimony of it. He needed a place to stay for a while and all he could think of at the moment was Soubi. He had just turned thirteen last week. Had he told anyone? No. He didn't want the attention; he didn't want people fawning on him. Although he had friends that he liked he still didn't like people fussing over him.

Except Soubi, for some reason the blond mans fussing didn't bother him as much, it bothered him yes, but not as much. If he went to Yukio she would jump all over him. Besides, she was probably asleep already and he didn't want to walk in on her. So Soubi it was, he decided. He walked slowly down the street as the sprinkling rain rapidly became a downpour.

"Seimei, I wish you were here. You would have been able to protect me from mom" he sighed softly and lowered his head, his cat ears and tail twitching. He reached Soubi's apartment door and stared at it dubiously for a moment, absently playing with the cell phone around his neck. He was about to knock when the door opened suddenly and Soubi smiled down at him. The tall fighter's hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his glasses were nowhere in sight.

"Staring at the door won't make it open you know" he said, leading the slender, black haired boy inside. Ritsuka blushed.

"I know but-"he was cut off as Soubi began toweling his hair dry gently. Where the towel had come from, he had no idea.

"Why are you here, Ritsuka?" he asked. Ritsuka glared even though Soubi couldn't see it because of the towel.

"I can't just come visit you?" he snapped. Soubi chuckled

"At midnight in the pouring rain?" he asked. Ritsuka blushed again.

"It's nothing" he said irritably.

"I love you, Ritsuka" he said softly. Ritsuka ripped the towel out of Soubi's hands and glared murderously at him.

"Don't say that! You only say it because Seimei ordered you to! I don't want to hear it until you mean it!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. A hurt look flashed across Soubi's face but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"Is that an order?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. Ritsuka continued to glare at him.

"Yes! That is an order" he snapped.

"Whatever you wish Ritsuka, I live only to obey you. I live only for you." He said.

"Liar!" Ritsuka exploded again "You live because Seimei ordered you to! You live for Seimei, not me!" Ritsuka was on the verge of tears now. Soubi frowned.

"I'm sorry" he said, his hands moving to his shirt

"You can punish me if you wish" he said. Ritsuka snarled his cat ears flat against his head.

"I've told you before, I won't hurt you!" he felt a tear slide down his cheek. It was too much, first his mother and now Soubi. Even though Soubi hadn't done anything except be himself, Ritsuka was still angry at him.

"_You're not my Ritsuka!" echoed in his ears as he tried to dodge the plate she threw at him and failed_. He blinked out of the memory as Soubi placed gentle fingers under his chin and lifted his head so that the black haired boy was staring straight into his eyes. Soubi's other hand came up to brush the cut on his cheek gently.

"How did you get this?" he asked. Ritsuka sighed, as if Soubi didn't already know.

"It's nothing" he said, covering his cheek with one hand. Soubi sighed.

"Come Ritsuka, let's get you out of those wet clothes" he said, leading the thin, pale boy into his bedroom. Ritsuka was stripped of all but his boxers with gentle efficiency and a long sleeved white shirt was slipped over his head before he could so much as protest.

"Now, go to sleep" He said softly, guiding Ritsuka to the bed that dominated one corner of the room. He laid Ritsuka down and covered the boy securely.

"Good night" he said softly, leaning down to give Ritsuka a slow, through kiss that left the younger boy breathless. Soubi switched the lights off and stood in the doorway for a moment before Ritsuka's breathing evened out and he appeared to fall asleep.

"I love you, Ritsuka" he whispered before walking back out and shutting the door behind himself. In the bedroom, Ritsuka's eyes opened and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, still as uncertain of Soubi's loyalties as he had been when he was twelve,

"Are you sure?" he repeated before exhaustion overcame him and he truly slipped into sleep.


	2. Mindless

Ehm, well here's the second chapter of Together and Apart, I hope you all enjoy it and I have to say thank you to all of my lovely reviwers, you make me very happy

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Ritsuka woke slowly, wondering where he was for a moment before the night before came back to him.

"Oh" he muttered sleepily before turning over. He came face to face with a sleeping Soubi. He nearly jumped out of his skin but he relaxed after a moment and looked at the tall fighter's face. He looked peaceful when he was asleep, as if nothing bothered him and yet there was a hint of alertness about him, he was ready for anything, even asleep. Ritsuka shifted away a bit as Soubi's eyes slid open and fixed on him.

"Good morning, Ritsuka" he leaned up and gave the slender boy a kiss. When he pulled away, Ritsuka glared, his face burning.

"Why are you even sleeping there!" he asked in a snappy tone. Soubi sat up and laughed.

"It's my bed" he said. The blanket slid down, revealing a bare chest and torso. He was clad in just a pair of shorts. Ritsuka blushed and averted his eyes.

"You could have let me sleep on the couch or something" he said sullenly, his ears drooping. Soubi sighed.

"Ah, but my sacrifice gets only the best" he said as he stood and swung his long legs to the floor. Ritsuka tugged on his shirt, it had gotten wrinkled while he slept.

"I should go home" he sighed and stood as Soubi walked into the bathroom, coming out a few moments later dressed neatly with his hair and teeth brushed.

"I'm going home" Ritsuka said "can I have my clothes?"

Soubi nodded and left the room again. When he returned he had Ritsuka's clothes in hand, clean and folded neatly.

"Thanks" he muttered, taking them and going into the bathroom to change. He sighed, taking off Soubi's shirt and folding it. He set it on the toilet seat, not knowing what to do with it. He pulled his pants on and turned to pick up his shirt when he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He sighed, looking at the skinny, tiny image of himself. How could Soubi say he loved this tiny, little body? He wondered as he tugged on his shirt. Seimei had been big and strong, Ritsuka could see how Soubi had loved Seimei...everyone had loved Seimei. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair before walking out of the bathroom. Soubi was sitting on his bed, talking to someone on his cell.

"I'm going home" Ritsuka said shortly. Soubi hung up on the person he had been talking to and went over to Ritsuka, giving him a quick hug.

"Do you want me to drop you off?" he asked. Ritsuka shook his head

"No, ill be fine" he replied before walking out of the house into the bright morning sunshine. He sighed and lost himself in thought as he walked slowly down the streets. He was so busy thinking that he didn't see the man before he bumped into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Ritsuka's words died in his mouth as he looked up at the tall stranger. He looked like a dark copy of Soubi with ebon black hair. His skin was pale and his build was just a bit taller. The man looked down and smiled, meeting Ritsuka's dark eyes with his pair of sapphire colored orbs. The moment their eyes met a lancing pain flared in Ritsuka's chest, just above his heart. He caught his breath and the pain faded abruptly. The stranger didn't seem to notice.

"Who are you?" he asked in a light, friendly voice.

"Aoyagi Ritsuka" he replied. The man smiled.

"It was nice bumping into you, Ritsuka-san, you may call me Ryuu" Ryuu nodded before walking off. Ritsuka watched him go.

"He was strange" Ritsuka muttered as he resumed his walk home. He touched his chest gently and wondered what had happened. He had just turned the corner to his house when a light, masculine voice called out to him.

"Yo, Loveless, come with us" it said. Ritsuka turned to face a short boy with blue hair and no ears. The person that stood behind him was an even shorter girl with pink hair and ears that were flat against her skull.

"No" Ritsuka sighed. The boy stepped forward and grabbed Ritsuka's wrist. His hand was slapped away by Soubi, who popped up out of no where as he usually did.

"Do not lay a finger on him" Soubi hissed. The blue haired boy raised a hand.

"System initiate!" he barked. The world darkened to shades of black and white as the battle system took over.

"Who are you?" Soubi demanded. The boy and girl joined hands.

"I am Takashi" the boy said "And I am Mei" the girl sighed.

"But we share the same name, the same soul. Mindless" they said in unison

"We shall obliterate you with mind ripping pain that knows no bounds!" light ripped from Takashi's hands and sped towards Soubi and Ritsuka.

"I counter with boundaries to contain the pain" Soubi said flatly. The light halted and then dissipated.

"Knives of light, let them know what real pain is" Soubi said. Thousands of razor sharp knives rose up and shot straight towards Takashi and Mei.

"Defense! Use defense!" Mei cried.

"Defense!" Takashi shouted. Some of the knives were diverted but the rest sped past. Mei cried out as a cut appeared on her hand and one on her collarbone. Another appeared on her side, showing through a hole in her shirt. Takashi spun and went to Mei.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, Mei nodded.

"Just keep on fighting" she said through gritted teeth. Takashi nodded and returned to the battle.

"Darkness! Consume them!" he cried. Shadows began to surround Soubi and Ritsuka.

"Restraint!" manacles of light clamped down on Ritsuka's wrists, sending pain up through his arms and into his shoulders. Soubi glanced down at him, but Ritsuka shook his head.

"Finish the battle" he said. Soubi nodded.

"Light, reflect the darkness back to its creators!" he commanded. The darkness quivered before rebounding on Takashi and Mei. Chains appeared on Mei's wrist ands she fell to the ground, unable to move. Takashi fell next to her.

"We have won" Soubi said. The manacles on Ritsuka dissolved and the world returned to normal. Takashi and Mei were sprawled on the ground, out cold.

"Leave them Soubi" Ritsuka tugged on the tall mans sleeve gently and he sighed.

"As you wish, Ritsuka. Come, I will walk you the rest of the way home" he said, taking the smaller boys hand in his. Ritsuka nodded and followed Soubi away.


	3. The Park

Hey, sorry I haven't updated in a while. School starts for me tomorrow so Ill probably update less often for the next few weeks while I get settled in and everything. But Ill try So, enjoy this new chapter and please review!

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Chapter 3-The Park

"Here you are, Ritsuka" Soubi smiled down at the small boy as they reached his front door. Ritsuka nodded

"Thanks for taking me home" he scuffed one foot against the cement. Soubi patted his shoulder

"I will take me leave now" he hesitated, looking like he wanted to add something else but in the end, all he said was "Goodnight, Ritsuka" before he turned and melted seamlessly out of sight. Ritsuka stared after him for several long moments, wondering for at least the hundredth time how Soubi could do that, especially since it was light outside. Shaking his head, he turned to the door and opened it, peering around cautiously for any signs that his mother was upset.

The remains of the plate she had broken remained on the floor but the rest of the mess was cleaned up. With a soft sigh Ritsuka began picking up the sharp shards of blue glass. He jumped when the front door opened and sliced one of his fingers on the edge of a small piece. He hurriedly dumped the glass into the trash can and went to see who had come in.

His mother stood in the doorway, removing her coat. She had a shopping bag slung over one arm. She looked up to see Ritsuka and smiled

"Hello Ritsuka, where were you last night?" she asked pleasantly. Ritsuka sighed in relief; she seemed to be sane today.

"Uh, I went to stay at a friend's house" he replied. His mother smiled again

"Did you have fun?" she asked, walking into the kitchen and unloading her bag. Ritsuka followed her.

"_Define fun"_ he thought sourly.

"Oh yes, it was lots of fun. We watched anime all night" he lied brightly. The lie pleased his mother though because she smiled prettily.

"That's wonderful Ritsuka, now why don't you go do something so I can cook?" she suggested, shooing him gently out of the kitchen. Ritsuka stood there for a moment, wondering what to do when there was a loud, almost hyper sounding knock at the door.

"Ritsuka-Kun!" Yuiko cried happily, still knocking on the door. Ritsuka smiled faintly and opened it. Yuiko's fist halted an inch from his nose and her pink tail waved wildly.

"Ritsuka-Kun!" she smiled broadly, hopping up and down. Yayoi poked his head out from behind her and smiled brightly, seeming just as cheerful as Yuiko.

"Yes?" Ritsuka asked, leaning against the doorway.

"Do you want to go to the park with us?" Yuiko asked, she glanced down and caught sight of Ritsuka's cut.

"Oh, you're bleeding!" she exclaimed, rapidly hopping from one topic to the next. Ritsuka glanced down and shrugged, he had forgotten about the cut.

"It's really nothing…" he began but Yuiko grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the bathroom. How she knew where it was, Ritsuka had no idea, but she did. Yayoi followed her and observed as she cleaned and bandaged Ritsuka's finger.

"Ahh…thanks" Ritsuka said, holding up his hand to examine her work. Yuiko watched him, her tail waving almost lazily.

"Can we go now?" she asked hopefully. Ritsuka sighed and a faint smile ghosted around his lips.

"Sure, lets go" he said, grabbing a jacket to guard against the chill breeze in the air. Yuiko hopped up and down, squealing about how much fun they would have while Yayoi watched her with pure love in his eyes. Ritsuka sighed softly as he followed Yayoi out the door; those two would probably end up together some day.

The got to the park and Yuiko immediately began chasing Yayoi around in circles. Ritsuka laughed softly as he watched them. Ritsuka suddenly found himself being chased around as well.

The happy laughter of the three echoed around the park as they ran. Ritsuka smiled, the only way this could be any better would be if Soubi were there. Movement caught the corner of his eye and he glanced over, scanning the shadows. Someone slunk away and Ritsuka eyed the spot suspiciously. His lack of attention got him tackled by Yayoi.

"I win! I caught Ritsuka" he grinned broadly and looked over at Yuiko "See Yuiko, I caught him." He said proudly. Yuiko ran over and pushed Yayoi off

"Are you alright Ritsuka?" she cried. Ritsuka sat up and brushed grass out of his hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine" he nodded and got to his feet, brushing grass off of his clothes as well.

"Come on, lets take a picture" he pulled the ever present camera out of his pocket and took a picture of Yayoi and Yuiko laying in the grass.

That was how the rest of the afternoon went, the three of them chasing each other around and taking pictures. When the sun began to go down Ritsuka walked Yayoi and Yuiko home before heading to his own house. He hesitated outside the door before going in. He looked in the kitchen for his mom but she wasn't there. He shrugged and went upstairs to take a bath.

Why hadn't Soubi called today? The man usually called fifty times a day just to say hello. He pondered this as he filled the tub with hot water and stripped his clothes off. He tossed them in a corner to be taken care of later and on his way back to the tub he glanced in the mirror. What he saw ripped a heartrending scream from his throat.


	4. A Scream

School is exhausting my completely, so I'm really sorry for not updating very much, but I'm just soooooo tired. Ill try to update more on the weekends. But enjoy this new chapter! I really have no life since school started. I swear, Ill try to update more often from now on. Please…don't hurt me -hides-

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Chapter 4- A scream

Soubi sighed as he painted, thinking about his little Ritsuka. What was he doing now? Probably fiddling with his computer or taking pictures of something. The thought drew a small smirk from the fighter, he remembered that sunny day in the park when he had first kissed Ritsuka and they had taken all those pictures for memories. Ah, what a wonderful moment that had been. He had known at that moment that he really had a master again, not one to measure up to Seimei certainly…at least, not yet. The very thought of his former master sent a sharp lance of pain through Soubi's heart.

How he missed his Seimei, how he wished for his first master back, how he wished the other half of his soul, the half of his name, still lived on. But no, that was never to be. Seimei was dead. Soubi had felt their bond snap him self; like a thread held tenaciously together until the final strand cut and his world spiraled into an endless abyss of haunting sorrow and insanity.

But then he had met Ritsuka, the small shining light that led him out of the dark panic that was his own mind. Surly, whiny little Ritsuka, his master, his…dare he say it? His Beloved. It felt so good to admit that fact, even if it was just to himself. His hand strayed for a moment to the earring, the piercing that Ritsuka had given him, and he smiled, humming softly as he went back to work on his current picture, which he was currently finding very hard to concentrate on. He was seriously considering phoning the boy, he hadn't gotten his usual seven to ten calls in because the day had been so hectic. He looked at his cell phone and then sighed and shook his head. No, Ritsuka would probably get annoyed if he called right now.

Actually, he would most defiantly get annoyed. The minutes ticked by and Soubi couldn't seem to get any work done, his mind still floating around the topic of Ritsuka. He shook his head in amusement and set his brush down before taking off the smock he wore over his clothes and walking over to pick up his cell. He hit the speed dial button for Ritsuka's phone and waited as it rang. And rang. And rang some more. He finally closed the phone with a frown; perhaps Ritsuka was taking a bath and had left his phone on his bed? Yes, that had to be it; he never let it out of his sight otherwise.

Just the thought comforted him a little and he sat down on the floor, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for his little master to return the call. He sat for about five minutes before he felt it. He felt Ritsuka scream, even though their bond was not very strong, he felt ripping, tearing agony. He was on his feet in an instant, echoing his master's unearthly shriek before he realized what he was doing and calmed down.

That was when he felt It. That tugging and pulling sensation like a string stretched tightly. It began to fray and Soubi scrabbled to keep it in tact with all his might but the last thread drifted apart with frightening suddenness and his only grip on reality was gone, he was master less again and his mind was a whirl with ripping pain. He felt hot tears slide down his cheek as he fell to his knees, whimpering and clutching at handfuls of his fair hair. A long, painful time later he roused himself out of his delirium long enough to get to his feet. He had to see what had happened to Ritsuka. With that thought he ran out the door without even bothering to shut it behind him and vanished down the dark streets.

"_Have to get to Ritsuka"_ he thought as he ran down the street, almost falling flat on his face once or twice.

_"Need to see what happened" _Those two phrases repeated endlessly in his shadow filled mind.

It seemed to take an awfully long time for him to reach Ritsuka's home. He arrived outside of Ritsuka's balcony and grasped the vine that grew up alongside of it. (And Ritsuka wondered how he got up there, hello, obvious!) He shot up it like a stone hurled from a sling and clambered onto the balcony, clumsy in his panic. He slid open the door and scanned the bedroom. No sign of Ritsuka here.

He did catch sight of the clothes on the bed and the cell phone blinking red because of his missed call. He listened for a moment and heard a quiet whimpering coming from the bathroom. Ritsuka was alive? He walked towards the door slowly and pushed it open. Ritsuka was on the ground, a pool of blood coating his chest and arm, dying them a sticky red. The young boy was shaking violently and his eyes were wide and unseeing. His ears were flat against his head and his tail was curled around his naked body. He turned his head slowly and those empty, unseeing dark purple eyes focused on Soubi.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, his blood covered hand slipping slowly away from his thin, pale chest to reveal the claw marks he himself had left there. Scrolling out in neat characters on his chest, right above his heart was one word, filled in the crimson blood and the skin around it was shredded but the letters stood out clearly, almost glowing in the dim light.

_Loveless_

A single tear rolled down Soubi's cheek.


End file.
